Artificial limb.



f Patented my I, |902.

No. 703,43I

E. F. LuEFFLEn, ARTIFICIAL LIIIIB. (Application led um'. 24, 1902.)

(no model.)

JNVENTOR.

Logffler A TTORNE Y.

I WITNESSES:

UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. LOEFFLER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

.ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\T o. 703,431, dated July 1, 1902.

Application filed March 24, 1902. Serial Na. 99,566. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. LOEFFLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oolumbus, inthe county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Artificial Limbs, of which the following isa speciiication. p

My invention relates to the improvement of articial limbs, andhas particular relation to the improvement'of-the ankle-joint therefor or jointed connection`-between the foot and leg. Y f

The objects of myinvention are to provide a simple and effective ankle-joint of improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby a natural movement of the foot may be attained, to so construct my improved anklejoint as to insure -the same withstanding. great strain and wear and obviate the neces.-V

sity of employing the usual heel cord o r cords, and to produce other improvements the details of construction Yof'which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the heel portion of the foot and the lower portion of the leg. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line m :c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail View in perspective of the lower end of the leg-section. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective, showing they upper side of the legplate. Fig. 5 is a-sectional view through a portion of the foot, taken on line Vy y of Fig. 2, the leg being omitted from the view; and Fig. Gis a viewrin perspective showing the upper side of the foot or'ankle-plate.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the severalrviews.

1 represents-an artificial foot-body the upper side and rear portion of which is provided with an elongated recess 2, and on the upper surface of this recessed portion is secured a bearing-plate 3, of metal or other suitable material,- this bearing-plate being, as indicatedin theY drawings,vformed with a trans'V verse groove or rounded depression 4, said grooved portion having formed therein transverselyon opposite sides of the center of the length of the groove V-shaped depressions 5. Through the front or toe portion of the plate 3 is formed a mortise or elongated opening 6, which,'as indicated in the drawings, is continued downward through lthe foot-body l into a comparatively large under side socket or recess 7. At thecenter of the length of the grooved portion 4 of the plate 3 is also provided an opening 8, which is likewise continued do\vnward -fthrou'gh the instep portion of the foot-body, as indicated atrSu. 9 represents the base portion of theleg, said leg being hollowed in the usual mannerto a pointwithin said base. Secured by means of bolts 10 to the under side of the leg-base 9 is a bearing-plate 11,`this plate beingas indicated more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, formed Vwith a central transverse rounded projection 12, the central portion of said projection being slotted, as indicated at 13, and the surface of the projection 12 being formed on opposite sides of said slot with V-shaped `projections 14, corresponding with the recesses "or depressions 5 of the foot-plate 3, which are adapted to receive the same. In its forward ,portion the plate 11 is formed with an elongated opening 15, through which projects into a socket 16 ofl the foot the upper end of a bolt or rod 17, the latter having extending through its upper end portion a pin 18, the projecting end portions of which are adapted to bear in an upper side-groo'ved seat 19 of the plate 11. The lowerarid downwardly-extending end portion of the bolt V1'7.is `threaded and adapted, asindicatedfin Fig. 1 of the drawings, to pass through the slotted opening 6 of the foot-plate 3, thence downward into the socket 7 of the foot. ylVithin the socket 7 the bolt 17 is surrounded byatubular body 20, preferably of rubber, and beneath this tubular body the threaded endof the bolt is adaptled to receive a nut 21. Bearing loosely in vthe rounded transverse depression 12 of the plate 11 is the horizontal head 22 of a T-bolt 23, the downwardly-extending stem portion of which passes loosely through the slotted openinglof said plate. This stem portion likewise passes through the opening SiV of the plate and, as indicatedjin Fig. 1, extends down through the foot-opening S?,b e'ing provided on its lower threadedend with a nut 24. In order to impart desirable strength to the leg-plate 11, I preferably form the same, as

indicated in Fig. 4, with upwardly-projecting parallel strengthening-ribs 25, these ribs being adapted to extend into lthe wood base of the leg.

In order to prevent direct contact of the upper and lower metal plates ll and 3, I pro-- vide between said plates a strip or layer 26 of buckskin or other suitable yielding material, and between the forward portions of said plates I may also insert a strip 27 of rubber.

From the construction shown and described it will be seen that by the employment of the T-bolt 23 a central hinge connection is produced between the leg and foot and that a further hinge connection is produced between the forward portion of the leg-base and the foot-body by the employment of the hingebolt 17. These ankle-joint connections will permit, as will readily be understood, of the natural rocking action of the leg on the foot, the forward connecting or hinge bolt 17 operating to draw or return the leg to its forward position without the necessity of employing the usual heel-cords. It will also be seen that by the employment of the intermediate yielding bearing 26 between the upper and lower plates said plates are retained ont of contact without interfering with the rocking action of the leg upon the foot, inasmuch as the yielding nature of said bearing-strip permits of its being compressed between the bearing parts of the plates and taking the form thereof.

It will be observed that my improved anklejoint is so constructed as to withstand great strain and that the parts thereof may be strong and durable.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an artificial limb, the combination with an artificial foot-body, and a fixed plate on its upper side having a transverse rounded recess, of a foot-body having a fixed under side plate ll provided with a rounded depressed portion l2, a T-bolt having its head portion loosely mounted in the plate depression 12 and having its stem portion passing loosely through opposite openings in said plates l1 and 3 and through the foot-body, and a hingebolt 17 independent of the bolt 23 having its upper end hinged in connection with the footbody at a point in the forward portion thereof, said bolt extending downward loosely through openings in said plates and within a socket of the foot and being provided within said socket with a yielding bushing, substantially as specified.

EDVARD F. LOEFFLER.

In presence of- C. C. SHEPHERD, P. S. KARsHNER. 

